As The World Falls Up
by Chikyu
Summary: She didn’t notice though that the necklace was still around her neck, and she didn’t realize the mistake she had made by wearing it to sleep.
1. Three Tales of the Beginning

**As The World Falls Up**

Labyrinth Fanfic by: Chikyu

**Chapter 1: Three Tales of the Beginning **

Part 1: Sarah's Unknown Mistake

It wasn't like her mother had been married five times before this, it was just that Sarah found it odd sitting at her own mothers wedding more then she did when her father had been remarried all those years ago. She was glad that she had not been forced to be one of her mother's bridesmaids since those poor women looked like they had just walked out of a costume shop with all the ribbons and lace that had been sewn onto their outlandishly pink dresses. Her mother, however, did have the look that any bride would like on her wedding day – absolutely stunning.

Sarah shifted uncomfortably on the pew she was sitting on. She had come to realize that the weddings that they put on television where nothing like an actually wedding. On television weddings are shortened with only the things that seemed important actually included such as the "Dear we beloved", vows, and lastly the kiss. No, it was nothing like that. Sarah believed that she was sitting on the hard pew for at least forty minutes before the priest even got to the I-do's. She didn't think she would be able to stay awake long enough to watch her mother walk down the aisle to the outside of the church.

"Sarah!" her mother's voice rang out over the line of people in the church attempting to leave its confines. "Sarah, hurry over here and get your picture taken with me."

During that moment Sarah wished that the camera wasn't and actual invention. It wasn't that pictures bothered her; it was being shoved in between her mother, and her step-father she's never met. She squeezed through people to attempt to get out of the church to her mother that was awaiting her on the front steps.

When she got there her mother took her arm bringing her close to her side. "I'm so glad that you came today, and you look so beautiful. The dress you found is so flattering for you and this is just lovely" her mother said touching the small crystal charm that hung around her neck, "Where did you get it."

"I didn't get it anywhere," said Sarah "Someone sent it to me for my birthday, I have no idea who it came from though." The silly thing though had sat in a box on Sarah's desk underneath all the other liter that cluttered it up. She hadn't opened up since her birthday since the thing seemed too delicate and priceless to wear. In truth she didn't know who it was from, it had just been sent to her on her birthday, without a return address.

"And admirer then isn't it?" her mother said to her with a smile.

"No mother, I do not have any kind of secret admirer," said Sarah.

"All right then," her mother said smiling even more. "Did you say whether you where able to come to the reception or not?"

"I can't," said Sarah putting a sad look on her face, "It's really close to the end of the school year and I got a lot to do."

"Not even for a little?" her mother asked.

"I've procrastinated enough with all of this," said Sarah. Sarah knew the small lie would work. She in fact did have a lot of work to do, but all Sarah wanted to do at this moment was to go home and sleep without being worn out so much by a long reception.

"Well then, you go" her mother bent forward and kissed her on the cheek, "I will see you soon?"

"Of coarse, we will do somwthing after school is over," she said. Then Sarah walked down the steps of the church to reach her small car that was waiting for her in a parking lot across the street.

* * *

She made it home only to come upon the mess of work that had been waiting for her return. Sarah began to remove her dress that she had worn that day and changed into warm pajamas, and as she had planned skipped anything involving the horrid mess that she, in a truth, should deal with.

She crawled into bed and found that there was no more comfort than being in bed with the television glowing then anything else at the moment. Slowly but surely Sarah drifted off into her dreams. However, she didn't notice though that the necklace was still around her neck, and she didn't realize the mistake she had made.

Part 2: Jareth's Turmoil in the Underground

It was late in the afternoon and the setting sun was casting a warm glow over Goblin City and the vast labyrinth that surrounded it. The residents of the castle: the servants, jesters, cooks, and other odd sorts toiled away to please their king who ruled over the city, the labyrinth, and the vast lands around them.

He sat in a large window staring out in the distance looking past the many great walls that made up the twist and turns of his great maze. It was to him a marvelous sight to see, his whole kingdom, glowing orange in the setting sun.

However, this kings gaze was drawn from the bright colors of the Western sky to the stony ground of the city that lay before. At this point the king felt uneasy, something was wrong in his kingdom.

It was then in that short instence that this King had a fear hit him hard in his chest. Below his in the city below two large creatures dotted in and out of the network of allyways, and where coming toward his castle. "Impossible" the word exscaped him in a whisper, but the horrors of what could happen next where loud in his head.

He pushed off from the window's ledge and headed down the dark stairwell to his thrown room, where confusion reined supreme. The king did not want those beast knocking at his castle door, and he was prepared to do anything he could to stop it. If those two beast got in more would come, and those would bring more, and his Labyrinth might fall from his grasp into anothers.

Part 3: Bad Dreams and Old Memories

_Sarah was in an empty circular room. All the small creatures, they where all sleeping and the large throne that sat above everything was empty, and everything was silent, almost peaceful. _

_She moved through the room, drawn almost by instinct through a doorway that she found to lead to stone steps._

_When she arrived at the top of the stairway she found a large opened window looking over a small city. On the window ledge sat a man looking over the scenery. _

_A strong evening breeze whipped his wild fair hair back from a face that held a look that was two parts boredom, one part contemplation. One booted leg rested on the ledge, the other dangled over the side, and he twirled three large spherical crystals in his hand._

_As she stood there watching him, he leaned forward, staring intently at something below. With a soundless oath, he pushed back from the window, with a flick the crystals in his hands disappeared, and then ran back down the passage towards her. _

_He went past her like he didn't see her._

_Curiosity drawing her, she followed him down the stairs._

_The throne room was awash with blood. _

_She looked towards the large stone throne that sat high in the circular room._

_It was occupied by a by a dark haired man in a black cloak who looked slightly younger than the blonde man from before. Surrounding him where four of the largest creatures she had ever seen - at least six feet tall._

_She looked for the blond man_

_Next to throne sat another man. He looked like the other with long pulled back braids. He was seated on the ground next to throne._

_One of the creatures came through a doorway slowly. He was dragging the blonde man toward the dark haired man, throwing him down in front of him._

_The dark haired man stood and pushed back the side of his cloak to reveal a sword._

_He unsheathed it, pressing the blade to the blonde man's throat, saying something that Sarah couldn't understand. And Sarah could here bells chiming: nine, ten, eleven......_

* * *

With a cry Sarah awoke.

There where tears in her eyes. She touched the pendent around her neck.

"What happened?" she said out loud to herself.

She looked around for a moment to understand where she was. She was in room which was where she was last night, with the old and shaggy Merlin at the end of her bed. She proceeded for a moment to put her mind where it belonged. She assumed it was a bad idea to eat food at a wedding, and that that had made a lasting impression on her pyche.

She decided more sleep was the best thing for her even though dawn had begun to break outside her bedroom curtians, nor was she aware of what her dreams had brought onto her.

* * *

**A/N: **I would like to thank Saturns Darkness for her help (go read her fics or I'll eat you). She's is my muse when my real one runs away.

This first part changed due to length issues. I will definitely come back to this chapter and redo it. Don't know when but I will. I need to. Second Chapter soon!!

[Update: November 4, 2008—This chapter has been revised, I hope you enjoy the revised version as much as you did the original.]


	2. Sarah's Dreams and Her Unexpected

**As The World Falls Up**

Labyrinth Fanfic by: Chikyu

**Chapter 2: Sarah's Dreams and Her Unexpected Decision**

Part 1: Pondering of Lost Thoughts

_She was underground, somewhere. The dark tunnels dripped with water shining like diamonds in the faint light from the burning torch she carried. She was searching for something, wasn't she? She had to find something, but what was it?_

_The tunnel opened out into a large underground chamber, empty except for a perch in the centre of the room - with a snowy feathered owl on it. She placed the torch in a skull shaped holder on the wall, and walked over to it. 'The poor thing,' she thought, 'it's injured.' Blood stained one wing and its white breast, sticking the soft feathers together._

_It had odd colored eyes, she noticed._

_The bird watched her as she came closer, following each of her steps._

_It hooted moarnfully, and pulled at the chains that where wrapped around it's legs. Sarah reached out to grab one of the chains to see if she could pull it off, but couldn't. The owl seemed to have become frustrated with her and began to hoot uncontrolably and bite at her fingers._

_'I can't!' she told the bird, looking at the chains. 'I don't know how!'_

_Distantly, she heard a clock begin to chime. Risking the bird taking a swipe at her with its beak, she tried to pull the chains free from the perch._

_Ten._

_Eleven._

_Twelve._

_Thirteen._

Sarah woke, trembling. Just across the road, the church clock could be heard striking twelve.

She put her head in her hands andlaid back on her pillows. Trying to fall back into a fitfull sleep.

* * *

"Jareth" she said to herself as she swirled her cereal in its pool of milk. Had she given this name to the man in her dreams, or was the man real? But she had become obsessed with a dream-man. She sighed putting a hand on her forehead. 

'Dreams aren't real' she thought 'I shouldn't have this strong of feelings for something that isn't real.' And with this thought Sarah decided never to eat before bed again.

* * *

Part 2: When Dreams Come True

Sarah followed the old and shaggy Merlin over the grass. She had decided earlier on in the day that her and Merlin had to go to get out of the house and go somewhere where the two could relax.

And it had been almost two weeks since Sarah last saw her dream-man.

Sarah soon found a spot near a very large oak tree to sit and eat. She pulled an apple out of the bag she had brought with her and called for Merlin. The dog turned from where it had begun to mark its "territory" andpadded over her sniffing at the apple and licking her face.

"Hold on," she said laughing. She reached into her bag and pulled out a bright green tennis ball. "How long has it been since you went after one of these?" She threw the ball and watched as Merlin turned to get it. He soon got it and picked up bringing in back to her. They where there for a long time like that, Sarah reading with one hand reached out for Merlin to put the ball in it, then throwing it again making the process routine.

Then Merlin got off.

Sarah looked up from her book to find Merlin no where in sight. She put the book back in her bag and stood up looking around.

"Merlin,"she yelled "Merlin you old dog where are you." She heard barking a ways off in the distance. She rolled her eyes guessing that Merlin had chased a rabbit into a hole and now refused to leave the poor creature alone.

She found herself on a path still calling Merlin's name listening to her dogs constant barking get louder. She followed it until she could see Merlin jumping back and forth barking at something.

"Merlin leave it alone," she called, but the dog paid not attention. She finally got to him reaching for his collar when she saw what he was barking at.

It was a white owl. It's beak was open breathing heavily, blood soaked it's chest making the feathers stick together, and wing lay limp at it's side. She grabbed Merlin instantly pulling it back, trying to protect the bird from furthur damage.

"For heaven sakes Merlin!" She looked at her dog accusingly but found that there was no blood on him.

She looked at the owl again a reached her hand towards the owl. The bird made lunge for her fingers then fell to the ground.

Sarah stood up with Merlin still by the collar. She watched the owl not knowing what to do, but when the bird stopped breathing and lay motionless on the ground she decided that the only thing to was to leave the creature there.

"Come on Merlin," she tugged on this collar forcing him to turn around. "Lets go home."

* * *

Part 3: Third Times the Charm

_The walls were darkened, their otherworldly glimmer replaced by a noxious grey slime that oozed and dripped over the crumbling brick. She was searching for something, but couldn't remember what it was. Left, left and left again, letting the walls guide her. Always heading for the center. For the castle that reared up above the this maze. A feeling of dread increased the further she went._

_Had she been here before? Another dream she had?_

_The gates to the city finally reared up in front of her, a massive construction of brass and bronze, tarnished, already, she noticed, looking at the rust colored substance that covered them. Reaching out to touch them, tentatively, she drew her hand back in horror. Blood._

_The sense of foreboding grew stronger, as reluctantly, she raised her eyes to look at the top of the wall across the gates, afraid of what she'd see there. His head, white blond hair matted with blood, mismatched eyes wide, staring down at her from the stake._

_

* * *

_

Sarah awoke shooting up in bed. 

They had come back. Her dream man was dead. What about the owl?

She didn't know whether to believe in what she had just seenor go back to sleep. She thought only for a few moments then kicked the covers off her.

She quickly changed her cloths and headed out the door.

She truthfully didn't know why she got in the car and started driving, but she had ended up at the park in which she had found the bloody owl.

Of coarse she sat in the car staring at the stearing wheel for quite some time. A few moments she put her hands on the keys to start her car back up, but the withdrew her hand shaking her head.

"Dreams arn't real," she said sternly to herself "And if this is the only way to prove it to myself, then I must."

Armed only with the flashlight from the trunk of the car, Sarah made her way hesitantly into the wood. The darkness was so thick, it seemed to even swallow up the torchlight. But the feeling that had driven her out this far was even stronger, almost but not quite overriding her fear.

There was a path of sorts that led through the trees. Giggling lovers sometimes used it - it led to a small clearing about a quarter of a mile from the road. Far enough away from prying eyes, especially at night. Since it was the quickest way into the wood, Sarah stayed on the path, and tried to move quietly.

She'd reached the edge of the clearing when she heard something behind her, moving through the thick undergrowth. It sounded big.She froze, and switched off the torch, trying to slow her breathing down. Just as she'd almost convinced herself that it was probably just another pair of midnight lovers lost in the woods, a hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her startled cry, and an arm encircled her waist, pulling her further back into the bushes.

'Don't make a sound,' a voice cautioned her. 'I killed one, but there's still one out there.' 

She didn't know what to do, he had said that he had killed one of them. What was he going to do to her? She tried make a cry, but he clamped his hand harder on her mouth.

'Ssh.'

In that simple command, a compulsion to obey. She shivered, despite the warm night.

The sounds of movement faded, moving away from them, deeper into the wood - and thankfully, also away from the path to the car. He released her then. Freed from his grip, she turned to try to see his face, but in the darkness, could barely see him. Just a glimmer of fair hair, a pale blur in the faint moonlight that trickled through the trees.

'I suggest we get away from here. I hope you have some transport.'

* * *

A/N: CRAPTASTIC!

Well I know that this took me way to long. First it was Cinderella, then it was to much work, then Nero, and etc….etc…. But now that this one is done the next ones will be a lot easier. Also I hope all the Labyrinth fans realize that 2006 marks the 20 anniversary of Labyrinth. And I'm going to have to do something about this.

Also I'd like to Saturnsdarkness for her help and wish everyone to go over to her and read her stories and to say that I'm currently writing a Labyrinth fanfic with her.


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